


Grief Is A Funny Thing

by hexedmaiden



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28867011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hexedmaiden/pseuds/hexedmaiden
Summary: "His promise to reunite Grogu with his people was complete. Watching the Jedi, who offered no name, take his son was as though the man had ripped Din’s heart from his chest and walked away with it."A somewhat sequel toI Left A Part Of My Heart On Tatooinebut can be read as a standalone
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	Grief Is A Funny Thing

Grief is a funny thing. 

When someone you love dies it feels like the world around you caves in. Your body feels heavy like you'll never be able to move again. Your body shakes as you cry. It feels like everything around you slows down. You think you’ll never survive this pain. How could you when it hurts this much? 

It felt like that when Din was a child. When he was rescued by the Mandalorians and finally safe. The pain hit him slowly. He realized he had not just lost his home, his friends, but his parents. A loss that no child should have to face. He cried until exhaustion pulled him under. 

Time does not heal all wounds. Time lets you forget until it doesn't hurt as much. He can barely remember what his parents looked like or the sound of their voices anymore. He had nothing but vague memories of them.

Grief happens when the person you love is still alive. They're alive but you mourn the same. It doesn't hurt any less. 

His promise to reunite Grogu with his people was complete. Watching the Jedi, who offered no name, take his son was as though the man had ripped Din’s heart from his chest and walked away with it. When the doors of the lift closed Din had put his helmet back on. He ran a thumb over the Mudhorn insignia on his shoulder. At least this time when the pain dulls and the memories don’t hurt to recall he’ll have a piece of his son with him, always.

🪐

Din sits with his elbows on his knees staring at the metal grated floor of Slave I. They’re headed to Tatooine. Why Fett and Fennec were headed that way, Din didn’t know. He doesn’t care to. All he wants is to go home. Home to Mos Pelgo, home to Cobb. 

Din inhales a shaky breath at the memory of being tangled in Cobb’s sheets. Of words whispered in the dark.

_“I know you can’t stay so I won’t ask. But all that I do ask is that you come back to me when you can. You and the kid will always have a place to call home here.”_

_“Maybe one day, when this is all over, we’ll be able to.”_

It’s finally over. It’s only him now, there will be no pattering of small feet across the wooden floor of Cobb’s home. Of _their_ home.

How long has it been since that night on Tatooine? Since their last holocall? Before his ship was destroyed, before Gideon’s droids had kidnapped Grogu from the Jedi rock. Weeks, maybe months? Things had happened so fast there was no time to think, there was too much at risk. 

He knows Cobb will understand, wouldn’t fault him for making his son his priority. It doesn’t stop him from thinking of all the what-ifs. 

The ship finally jolts out of hyperspace and Din feels like he can breathe a little better. 

He’s home _._

Din walks down the ramp of Slave I and onto the hot sands just outside Mos Pelgo. The small town has grown so much since he was last here. He can hear kids running around playing in the twin suns. It doesn’t take long for the people to notice his arrival. They wave and cheer. He gives a small wave back. It feels a little bittersweet. 

There’s no doubt the sense of pride Din feels seeing the people of Mos Pelgo and Tuskens trading goods, to see the kids from the two communities playing in the sands as he walks further into town. His eyes scan over the townspeople as he tries to catch any sign of a red scarf.

A young woman breaks from a group and jogs over to him. It takes him a second to recognize her as Jo, one of the citizens that helped rig the explosives the day they fought the krayt dragon. 

“Mando! It's great to see you again. We’re happy to have you back.” She beams a smile at him. 

“Thank you.” Din’s voice comes out a little gruff from hours, maybe days of disuse. He isn’t sure how long it's been since he’s spoken to someone.

“He’s been worried sick about you, you know,” Jo says quietly while they walk. 

“Where is he?” Din asks, his voice sounds small and fragile to his own ears.

“This time of day? He’s probably getting lunch at the cantina. He’s been doing perimeter checks again, trying to occupy himself. Truthfully, I think he just says that so we don’t worry about him. I think he’s been searching the stars for you.”

The sand beneath his feet feels like it could give way. Confirmation that there’s someone out in the galaxy for him to come home to is so new, there was a part of Din that didn’t believe it. 

“Go to him. Take care of each other.” Jo nudged him toward the cantina. 

🪐

Din stands in the doorway of the cantina. His eyes instantly lock onto sun-bleached red fabric. Cobb is sitting at the bar, his back toward the door unaware of the Mandalorian’s presence. A glass of bright blue liquid sits on the countertop near his elbow. 

Din opens his mouth to call his name but he can’t. He feels choked. Being here, so close to Cobb, seeing him there in front of him; it was as if some of the weight on his chest had lifted. This is where he’s supposed to be. It’s where Grogu would have wanted him to be. 

“Marshal, there’s someone here to see you.” Din hears the bartender, Werlo says. Din watches as Cobb straightens himself up from where he’s slouched over the bar, he takes a swig from his glass.

“What can I do for-” Cobb begins to say until he turns and faces Din. It seems like Cobb makes two strides toward him and suddenly he’s in Din’s arms. Everything begins to hurt again, but not as much now that he isn’t alone. 

“I’ve missed you so much.” Cobb’s voice rasps in his ear. Din tightens his grip on Cobb as if the man will disappear if he lets go. Cobb’s fingers brush against the patch skin on the back of his neck between the helmet and cowl. Din’s breath shudders as he melts against Cobb. 

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you home.”

🪐

Din stands naked in the refresher of Cobb’s house. The fresh clothes Cobb gave him sits on the counter of the sink. He stares at himself in the mirror. The water drips from his hair to his shoulders. His eyes have dark circles from the lack of sleep. He uses Cobb’s grooming kit to trim up his mustache. He feels a bit more human than he has in days now that he’s eaten and showered. 

He pulls on the tan linen trousers. They’re a little long on him but he doesn’t mind. The shirt he leaves on the counter, the only thing left is the helmet. He picks it up and stares into the T-visor for a moment, the part of him wants to put it back on. It’s familiar, it's safe. He thinks about the times he’s taken the helmet off. 

The first time he didn’t have a choice, it was either remove it so IG-11 could give him help or he would die. The second time, it was to save Grogu, a choice he’d make over and over. The last time, it was to say goodbye to him. This time he chooses to do it for himself. He chooses to put the helmet in the duffle bag with the rest of his armor. 

He opens the door and follows the sound of Cobb moving around the bedroom. The door is already open but he knocks on the door frame anyway. Cobb looks over at him from where he stood tucking away some laundry into the dresser. Din gives him a small nervous smile.

“Well be still my heart, ain’t you the prettiest Mandalorian I’ve ever seen.” Cobb unabashedly looks him up and down. Din rolls his eyes and pushes himself from the doorframe to walk over to him. Cobb reaches for him and Din goes into his arms. Din rests his head on Cobb’s shoulder to just breath him in. He smells like sunshine, the air before a summer rain, and remnants of spotchka. Din can feel the wall he’s put up finally crumble. 

“Let it out, darlin. I’ve got you.” He hears Cobb say as he shakes. Tears flow down his face as though he’ll never stop crying. Cobb holds him closer.

“I know he’s okay, I know he’s safe. But why does it hurt so much?” Din doesn’t expect an answer. 

“Because you love your son. You did right by him, Din. You are the best father a child could have asked for. The best man that I could have fallen in love with. I know he misses you just as badly as you miss him.” Cobb’s voice breaks. He sniffles close to Din’s ear. 

“Please don’t get snot on me.” Din laughs into Cobb’s neck-breaking the tension. 

“Too late.” Cobb laughs sniffling again. Din pulls away smiling to look Cobb in the face. He gently wipes the tears from Cobb’s cheeks before planting a kiss to the mole under Cobb’s eye he adores so much.

“I love you. Thank you.” Din kisses Cobb’s lips this time.

“Of course, sweetheart. It’s okay to cry as much as you need to. Just don’t feel like you need to do it alone.” Cobb puts his hands on top of Din’s and leans forward to kiss him. Cobb rubs his hands over Din’s arms, “Let’s go to bed, huh? I know you’re exhausted.” 

Din nods and lets Cobb pull him into bed where he lays his head on Cobb’s chest as the man holds him close. Din didn’t realize how right Cobb is until he felt his eyelids grow heavy. Din fell asleep with one of Cobb’s hands in his hair and the other holding Din’s hand over his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on twitter, tumblr, and pillowfort @hexedmaiden
> 
> Thank you for reading ❤️


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